Profile

The giant muntjac is a deer, about the size of a large dog, that weighs 30 - 50 kg (66
- 110 lb). It is found mostly in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, and it apparently
prefers primary forests, although it has been noted in second-growth areas and degraded
forests. It has been found at altitudes from 500 -1200 m (1600 - 3900'). Only single young
have been observed with females, and adults are apparently solitary.

The giant muntjac was first recorded in 1994 in northcentral Vietnam. It has since been found all along the Truong
Son (formerly "Annamite") Mountains that straddle the border between Vietnam and Laos,
and the Central Highlands, as well as in eastern Cambodia.
It appears to be widespread within its known range, varying from common to rare in most
areas.

The giant muntjac is threatened by heavy hunting pressure, as well as by habitat
degradation due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Tidbits

*** The scientists who discovered this species called it the "giant" muntjac
because it is almost twice as big as the largest previously known muntjac. One female
measured 67 cm (2.2') at the shoulder (Schaller
& Vrba 1996).

*** The scientific name selected for
this species, Megamuntiacus vuquangensis, refers to the Vu Quang Nature Reserve
in Vietnam, where it was first recorded. This
follows the recent custom of naming newly identified mammal species for geographic
locations near where they were first found. Such species include: the Truong Son muntjac, named Muntiacus truongsonensis for
the Truong Son (formerly "Annamite") range of mountains where it was found in Vietnam; the saola, named Pseudoryx
nghetinhensis for the two Vietnamese provinces Nghe An and Ha Tinh; the leaf muntjac, named Muntiacus putaoensis for the town,
Putao, nearest to where it was found in Myanmar;
and the Tainguen civet, Viverra tainguensis,
named for the Tainguen Plateau in Vietnam. (Amato et al. 1999, Rozhnov & Pham Trong Anh 1999, Wikramanayake 1999)

*** Muntjacs are also known as "barking deer" because they make a deep,
barklike sound as a warning if they sense a predator nearby.

Countries Where the Giant Muntjac Is Currently
Found:

History of Distribution:

Although not described by scientists until 1994, the giant muntjac does appear to have
been reported in the literature early in the 20th century by a French hunter, who found it
in the Annamite (now called Truong Son) Mountains (de Monestrol 1925, cited in Wemmer et al. 1998).

The giant muntjac was first recorded in 1994 in Ha Tinh Province in northcentral Vietnam and the adjoining areas in the Nakai Plateau
in Laos. Subsequent investigations revealed a wider
distribution all along the Truong Son Mountains that straddle the border between Vietnam and Laos,
and the Central Highlands. The northern and southern range limits are still unknown. In Vietnam it has been found as far south as the Dalat
Plateau in central Annam. Its presence has also been confirmed in the eastern province of
Mondulkiri in Cambodia. It appears to be
widespread within its known range, varying from common to rare in most areas.

Threats and Reasons for Decline:

The giant muntjac is threatened by heavy hunting pressure, as well as by habitat
degradation due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Data on Biology and Ecology

Habitat:

The giant muntjac is found mostly in evergreen and semi-evergreen dipterocarp forests. It apparently prefers primary
forests, although it has been noted in second-growth areas in Laos and Vietnam.
It has been reported from dry primary hill evergreen forests and degraded lowland
semi-evergreen forests in Laos. The two areas in Cambodia where it has been reported are comprised of
a mosaic of moist to dry deciduous forests with some patches of evergreen forest. It has
been found at altitudes from 500 - 1200 m (1600 - 3900'). (Wemmer et al. 1998)